Her son and daughter , who she had described as the “light of my world”, were found with multiple stab wounds laying on her bed upstairs.

Their father, Paul Newman, then drove 175 miles to a beauty spot just a few hundred yards from the home of his mother and father-in-law, Kieran and Annie Markey, and hurled himself off the 135 ft cliff.

His body was found on a ledge half way down the cliff near South Stack on Anglesey, North Wales on Tuesday – two days after it is suspected the killings were carried out.

Heartbreaking: Shannon and Shane Newman were found stabbed to death in their home (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

Just weeks before he had been thrown out of the family home.

Detectives are studying a note and several letters written by Newman which are believed to indicate he was planning to kill himself.

They are also probing a background of domestic abuse by Newman towards his wife Geraldine, known to pals as Gerry.

Newman was jailed for 17 weeks by Leeds Magistrates in October 2013 for assault by battery on Geraldine.

He was released three months later and eventually she allowed him to move back into the family home in Allerton Bywater, near Castleford, West Yorkshire

But their relationship broke down again last year and she threw him out in December.

Killed: Geraldine Newman was found in a pool of blood

Yesterday, friends hit out at authorities who they claim failed the family.

Friend Natalie Hampton-Dodd, 22, told The Sun: “The police gave him a licence to kill. When he attacked her in 2013 he virtually left her for dead.

“He was jumping on her head. But when he was released from prison he was categorised as ‘low risk’. How is that possible?

“He should have been told to stay away and leave her alone. She was terrified. Nothing was done. She was trapped.”

Murder probe: Police and forensic officers at the scene (Image: PA)

They had married in 2002. But after the birth of their children he had stayed at home looking after them as a “house husband”, while Geraldine worked as a high-flying store manageress for the Wilko store in Castleford.

A neighbour said: “He appeared to dote on the children and you would see him playing with them at the nearby play park. No-one can believe he has killed them and their mum.”

Geraldine had spent 23 years employed by Wilko, working her way up from the shop floor to branch manager.

She wrote on her professional profile about her love of her job, studying and charity work.